Friday the 13th Roundup

Dallas Mavericks struggle to start games with aggression | DMN
"Our biggest hurdle is, when we have an opportunity to seize the moment, we don't be the aggressor," Jason Terry said. "We kind of wait for things to happen. Once we get over that hurdle, then we're going to be a championship team. "But until we get that killer instinct and get that swagger like nobody can touch us – which they can't when we play the right way – we're going to struggle."

Mavs Friday Donuts: We're Back On The J-Ho Yo-Yo | DB.com
If the Mavs are looking for a pick-me-up … just a nip of Red Bull. … and are in a position to tolerate a couple of inevitable rookie mistakes. … why not just a nip of Roddy? And if Dallas doesn’t want to do it in a "big’’ game (though it did work out OK in Roddy’s NBA debut, when he started at New Orleans and scored the first nine points of the game), can’t the Mavs do it against teams that pose less of a threat? Like, say, Minnesota?

Al Jefferson leaves Timberwolves to tend to family illness | SI.com
The Timberwolves say Jefferson left the team to be with an ill family member in Florida. He will miss the game Friday night against Dallas and on Saturday at Memphis.

Triangle of ineptitude | MN StarTribune
Kurt Rambis is determined to run the Triangle Offense. That in itself is a questionable decision, given that the only teams in the NBA known for running the Triangle at a high level employed Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Even if you believe the Triangle is a worthwhile offense for a young, struggling, team, it's already obvious that the Triangle is not a good fit for the Wolves' two best offensive talents _ Flynn and Al Jefferson.